Kate Moss partied in London wearing ripped-from-the-catwalk Fall 09 Balmain. The skintight dress, being a runway sample, wasn't designed for actual wear. So a seam split wide open. [Daily Mail]

Under Armour and Cal Ripken, Jr., have announced a five-year partnership. The brand will sponsor youth sporting events and outfit the Maryland Aberdeen IronBirds, a minor-league team. [WWD]

André Leon Talley has the biggestObama button you have ever, or will ever, see. [FWD]

Levi Johnston says he will become an electrician — but is "open" to modeling or acting opportunities. The agencies' reaction? No thanks. "If you hear him interviewed, he's not that bright. Even if he were amazing looking, he still comes off as a bit of a lug. Doesn't have the elegance," said Elaine Bohary, director of the New York men's division at Next. [VF]

The launch of Matthew Williamson's line for H&M in select stores worldwide elicited mixed reactions from shoppers this morning: the London flagship was buzzing with folks eager to pick up the British designer's wares for slightly less money than normal (the most expensive items in the collection are about $250 US), and there were lines in New York as well. (The clothes in both cities sold out in minutes.) But in Japan, the clothes barely elicited a reaction. Beijing was bustling, but it was likely because today was that H&M store's grand opening. [WWD]

I'm given to understand that the part of Isaac Mizrahi's old television show where he'd sketch an answer to a guest's fashion question was among the best-loved elements of his repertoire. How great, then, that the Miz is bringing back Sketches and Answers as a web feature! [Blackbook]

This internal Kohl's video of Lauren Conrad plays like a Kenneth Anger film. Seriously, turn on some Debussy during the silent B-roll of her rocking up to an empty Kohl's in her town car and inspecting some tank tops. [Racked]

Let nobody say the Council of Fashion Designers of America isn't canny. To promote the re-introduction of a bill that would hold offer more protection to designers whose garments are knocked off by other retailers, they sent all of Michelle Obama's favorite designers to Washington. Currently, it is possible to copyright an individual pattern, and creating a counterfeit product — one intended to pass as the real thing — is illegal, but defending against the theft of unique design elements, absent the exact replication of a pattern of the mimicry of logos, is nearly impossible. Maria Cornejo, Thakoon Panichgul, Narciso Rodriguez, and Jason Wu all went to D.C. to do their part for the industry lobby. [NY Times]

Richie Rich says Heatherette, the line he did until early 2008 with Traver Rains, failed because their financial backers "were basically assholes." Rich, who's currently pursuing both a namesake line and a collection of eco-friendly fashion with Pamela Anderson, went on to say, "I'm not mad at Traver, it's just that the people who backed us really weren't nice people. They took advantage of us in every respect." Heatherette partnered with the Weisfeld Group, owner of brands such as FUBU, in 2005; Weisfeld withdrew its financial support in 2008. At the time, Rich was singing a different tune: "With the partnership, we have more resources at our fingertips and it's almost easier to see your vision come alive. Yesterday we got back a sample with an eyelash hem on it, and who would have ever thought we could do that?" [The Cut]

Blind item: "Which two fashion superstars play best friends, work together and even lived together but hate each other so much they arrive separately to events and don't even call each other by name?" Methinks it's Lazaro Hernandez and Jack McCullough of Proenza Schouler, but I'd be happy to be corrected. [Fashionista]

That 16-year-old Australia's Next Top Modelcontestant who was ordered into anger management counseling? Is engaged to be married to a 25-year-old. He's a bricklayer. "Our relationship is really weird and it's different to everyone else's because I am so annoying and drive people insane but he puts up with it," said the girl, who describes herself as "a Jim Beam and Coke person." I would say that's spoken like a true 16-year-old, but then I happen to know dozens of teenagers who exhibit far more maturity. [News.com.au]

Patricia Field: "Einstein is an icon of my life, along with Socrates. Socrates was a genius and his genius is that he delivers new ideas in the most simple and understandable way. At the same time, he will shake you up, but when you got stuff out of him, it seemed obvious. And Albert Einstein was the same way. His theories were the most simple and logical theories and he told you them in simple and logical ways. Like, the shortest distance between two points is a straight line. It's obvious! Those two were twins. The distance between them is a straight line. Ha!" [The Cut]

A customer ordered pants online from a company called Hot Skinny Jeans, and when after trying them on she wanted to exchange them for a different size, Hot Skinny Jeans customer service told her they couldn't because they'd been "worn." Also: "What you've been doing on your knees, I don't want to know." [Consumerist]

Joseph Abboud men's wear is moving from Macy's to J C Penney this summer. It'll change its design focus from business to casual wear, and lower its prices slightly. [WSJ]

Dillard's is actually suing the landlord of a Texas mall for failing to maintain the facility. The shopping center has less than 50% occupancy, and Dillard's doesn't much like the company of what neighbors it does have. [WWD]